GB2491625A - Valance - Google Patents

Abstract

A valance 1 for use with a bed comprises a skirt portion 3 and an attachment portion 2, the skirt portion depending downwardly from the attachment portion in use and the attachment portion being substantially U-shaped and adapted to lie between a mattress and bed frame in use. The attachment portion and skirt are preferably inelastic and the attachment portion is preferably planar.

Description

Valance The present disclosure relates to a valance. In particular, to a valance that may be used with a bed and may be attached to and detached from the bed without removal of a mattress on the bed.

Valances (also known as bed skirts) generally comprise a piece of fabric that may be placed between a mattress and a bed frame, which supports the mattress, wherein a portion of the fabric is arranged to hang down to cover at least a portion of the bed frame below the mattress. Valances are decorative items that are arranged to give an aesthetically pleasing appearance to a bed by covering the sides of the bed frame.

Prior art valances are generally rectangular in developed form with a central solid rectangular portion, which has substantially the same dimensions (and thereby substantially the same footprint) as the mattress and/or bed frame to which the valance is applied, and a skirt portion, which extends outwards from the central portion on three sides.

A key problem with such prior art valances is the need to remove the mattress in order to attach or detach the valance, since the central solid rectangular portion may not be put in place without removal of the mattress.

The present invention arose in a bid to provide an improved valance.

According to the present invention in a first aspect, there is provided a valance for a bed comprising an attachment portion, which is arranged to lie between a mattress and a bed frame in use, and a skirt portion, which is attached to an outer periphery of the attachment portion and is arranged to depend downwardly from the attachment portion in use, wherein the attachment portion is substantially U-shaped.

It should be noted that the term bed frame is intended to cover all bed bases, be they frames, box-like (divan) bases, or otherwise.

By virtue of the U-shaped attachment portion, there is no need for a user to remove the mattress when attaching or detaching the valance. Each side section of the attachment portion may be slid, in turn, between the mattress and the bed frame with the mattress in situ. The weight of the mattress holds the valance in place, each side section of the attachment portion being gripped between the mattress and bed frame.

It is preferable that there is no other fixing means provided.

Preferably, the attachment portion comprises first and second spaced apart parallel side sections, which are joined to one another at their first ends by a third side section, which extends between the first and second side sections and is perpendicular thereto, and wherein the second ends of the first and second side sections are disconnected from one another.

The first, second and third side sections are each substantially rectangular.

The side sections are preferably arranged such that they have sufficient width that they may be gripped between the mattress and the bed frame without additional fixing means. With the elimination of additional fixing means the manufacturing costs of the valance are reduced.

The attachment portion is preferably planar in use. The attachment portion is preferably inelastic.

Each side section of the attachment portion, which is arranged to lie between the mattress and bed frame in use, may be at least 30cm wide. Most preferably each side section is 40cm wide.

The attachment portion preferably comprises fabric only. With the valance arranged in accordance with the first aspect, there is no requirement for further fixing means. The attachment portion may comprise a single piece of fabric only. When formed from a single piece of fabric, the attachment portion may comprise a strip that is folded or stitched to provide two corners. To maintain the U-shape, the fabric may be stitched or otherwise secured at these corners. The corners may be mitered.

Preferably, the skirt portion is pleated. The skirt portion may comprise a single piece of fabric.

Embodiments will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings: Figure 1 shows a valance according to a first embodiment of the present invention in plan view in a fully developed state; and Figure 2 shows the valance of Figure 1 in use.

With reference to the figures, and in accordance with one or more embodiments, there is provided a valance 1.

The valance comprises a first, attachment, portion 2, which is arranged to be received between a mattress and a bed frame in use, and a second, skirt, portion 3, which is attached to an outer periphery of the attachment portion and is arranged to depend downwardly from the attachment portion in use. The attachment portion is substantially U-shaped.

The attachment portion has three side sections 2a, 2b, 2c and is open at one end and in the region between the side sections. The side sections are joined to one another and are each rectangular. Preferably, the attachment portion consists of a single piece of fabric, however, the side sections may comprise individual fabric pieces that are joined to one another by stitching or otherwise. Preferably, the attachment portion is inelastic. The first and second side sections 2a and 2c are arranged to extend in the longitudinal direction of the bed in use and to be slid between the mattress and the bed frame at each of the opposed longitudinally extending side edges of the bed. The third side section 2b is arranged to extend between the side sections 2a, 2c in the width direction of the bed in use, joining the ends of the first and second sided sections 2a, 2c, and to be slid between the mattress and the bed frame at the end of the bed, which extends between the longitudinally extending side edges of the bed. The ends of the first and second side sections 2a, 2c are not joined to one another.

The side sections in the present embodiment have the same width, however, may in alternative arrangements have different widths. In the present embodiment all of the side sections have a width of 40cm. The side sections preferably have sufficient width that they may be securely gripped between the mattress and the bed frame without the need for any additional fixing means. By virtue of such an arrangement, manufacturing costs are reduced and the product remains simple to use.

In use, the side sections, forming the attachment portion, are planar and gripped between the mattress and the bed frame of the bed.

The skirt portion is attached to an outer periphery of the attachment portion. The skirt portion is preferably attached along the entire outer periphery of the attachment portion. The skirt portion may comprise the same piece of fabric as the attachment portion, however, is more preferably provided by one or more further pieces of fabric that is/are attached along the outer periphery of the attachment portion by stitching, as in the present embodiment.

The skirt portion is preferably provided with pleats 4 as shown. These pleats add to the aesthetic of the valance and allow the side sections of the skirt portion to lie parallel to the sides of the bed frame in use. Corner pleats are provided at each of the four outer corners of the valance and side pleats are provided centrally on each side section. The corner pleats preferably comprise a triangular section that lies between adjacent rectangular sections that extend along respective peripheral edges of the attachment portion. In the corner pleats there may be openings provided of any suitable form to allow for features of the bed frame to be accommodated, such as bed frame head and footer boards. It should be appreciated that more or less side pleats may be provided and moreover that the locations of such side pleats may be altered.

Figure 2 shows the valance of Figure 1 in situ on a bed frame 5. For clarity, the mattress lying on the bed frame and having the same footprint as the bed frame is not shown. It should be appreciated, however, that it is the gripping of the attachment portion between the bed frame and the mattress that maintains the valance on the bed, as shown in Figure 2.

Figure 2 clearly shows the side sections 2a, 2b, 2c that form the attachment portion in a planar state in use.

Claims (13)

1. Claims 1. A valance for use with a bed, the valance comprising an attachment portion, which is arranged to lie between a mattress and a bed frame in use, and a skirt portion, which is attached to an outer periphery of the attachment portion and is arranged to depend downwardly from the attachment portion in use, wherein the attachment portion is substantially U-shaped.
2. 2. A valance as claimed in Claim 1, wherein the attachment portion and/or the skirt portion are inelastic.
3. 3. A valance as claimed in Claim 1 or 2, wherein the attachment portion comprises first and second spaced apart parallel side sections, which are joined to one another at their first ends by a third side section, which extends between the first and second side sections and is perpendicular thereto, and wherein the second ends of the first and second side sections are disconnected from one another.
4. 4. A valance as claimed in Claim 3, wherein the first, second and third side sections are each substantially rectangular.
5. 5. A valance as claimed in Claim 3 or 4, wherein the side sections are arranged such that they have sufficient width that they may be gripped between the mattress and the bed frame without additional fixing means.
6. 6. A valance as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the attachment portion is planar in use.
7. 7. A valance as claimed in any of Claims 3 to 6, wherein each side section of the attachment portion, which is arranged to lie between the mattress and bed frame in use, is at least 30cm wide.
8. 8. A valance as claimed in any of Claims 3 to 7, wherein each side section of the attachment portion, which is arranged to lie between the mattress and bed frame in use, is 40cm wide.
9. 9. A valance as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the attachment portion comprises fabric only.
10. 10. A valance as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the attachment portion consists of a single piece of fabric.
11. 11. A valance as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the skirt portion is pleated.
12. 12. A valance as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the skirt portion comprises a single piece of fabric.
13. 13. A valance substantially as herein before described with reference to the accompanying drawings.